A. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of drive systems with direction and speed change mechanisms and more specifically to methods and apparatuses for using an electronically controlled actuator to adjust a vehicle transmission settings and/or vehicle speeds in an off the road vehicle such as a lawn and garden tractor or a utility vehicle.
B. Description of the Related Art
The use of hydrostatic transmissions is now well known in the art of off the road vehicles such as lawn and garden tractors and utility vehicles. A hydrostatic transmission permits the operator to experience the “feel” of an automobile-like automatic transmission while operating an off road vehicle. In particular the operator can shift between forward, reverse and neutral in the same sense that an automatic transmission allows an operator of a car to shift between forward, reverse and neutral. However, one known disadvantage with using a hydrostatic transmission on a vehicle is the cost. A disadvantage with a conventional transmission occurs when the operator is driving the vehicle slowly in the forward direction and releases his foot off the acceleration pedal. If the operator then tries to shift the transmission into reverse the transmission will have a tendency to “bind up,” that is, become difficult to shift. The present invention provides for an improvement in the shifting of gears in a conventional transmission as well as an improvement in adjusting speeds in an off road vehicle.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention with reference being made to the accompanying drawings.